Govt depts now allowed to enlist IT services outside of SITA

CAPE TOWN - Government departments can, as of this week, officially apply to enlist information technology services outside of the State Information Technology Agency (SITA).

Communications Minister Solly Malatsi has outlined the procedure for departments to follow in new regulations published in the government gazette.

This is one of several decisions taken by Malatsi that has put him at loggerheads with Parliament's portfolio committee.

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A department wishing to deviate will have to show that SITA can't meet its requirements and that a private service provider can do so quicker and cheaper.

A department requiring IT services will have to issue a notice setting out the business case and the specifics it requires.

SITA will have ten working days to respond whether it has the capacity to provide the services within the requested time frame.

If the agency fails to respond, or responds that it's unable to meet the requirements within the time frame, or that it can provide the services but not in the specified period, a department can procure the necessary services or goods in line with general procurement prescripts, if it believes a private provider can do so quicker and cheaper.

The private procurement must, however, be in line with the standards set by the agency.

The new regulations officially came into effect on 1 June.

At a meeting of Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) in May, SITA said it was being unfairly blamed for poor service to departments, providing only around 37% of services, with most taking charge of their own internal networks.

The home affairs department is one which regularly blames SITA for its offline systems.